Nirvana in Sonoma! - Food & Wine

That feeling of hitting an 800-credit score has NOTHING compared to this.

Because you simply don’t see Medlock Ames outside their Healdsburg tasting room, where the vast majority of their wines are sold.

And the best part? No, not the 92, 91, and 90 points, although that’s nice too.

You NEVER see their wines at this price. Or any other Cabernet blended by their hotshot consultant Jean Hoefliger for that matter.

Until today.

Being locals in Sonoma has its benefits, and today we have a rare coup from this incredible producer. We scored a small amount of their mountain-born red blend, from the dreamy 2018 vintage. Usually, it’s at $48 but we have it for way, WAY less today. It really drinks like something WELL over its humble retail price!

Chris Medlock James and Ames Morison, college best friends who left the hustle of NYC for the rolling hills of eastern Sonoma County, knew what they wanted from the beginning. Driving around Chalk Hill Road, their vision was realized at Bell Mountain Ranch. Ames is the winemaking force here, reaching for hillside Cabernet Sauvignon (and other Bordeaux varieties) that exude power without excess. In order to accomplish that, they have taken organic viticulture and sustainability to a whole new level.

Didn’t take long for the wine press to discover the hidden gem they are, when Food & Wine wrote “up on Bell Mountain, Medlock Ames winery produces amazing wines in a utopian setting.”

Amazed we are.

Entirely sourced from their Bell Mountain Estate, where they manage 44 acres of vineyards. Smooth and full-bodied. Lavish dark red and black fruit. Crazy minerality. Sweet tobacco and vanilla on the back. That gush of ripe cherries and lush blackberries too. Hints of baked herbs, Madagascar vanilla, roasted coffee, and pencil lead complicate the palate as ‘this little red that could’ builds to a monumental finish, quite a feat for its unassuming price point. We’re picking a few cases up for those guiltless cork-popping nights!

Jean Hoefliger is a protégé of Michel Rolland and has worked at Alpha Omega, AXR, Hartford Court, The Debate, Newton, Lynch-Bages to name a few. His approach “is purely to translate the site with my philosophy… we never have the power to erase the characteristics of an appellation or terroir, and that’s the greatness of wine.”

Such greatness at this price, won’t last.

92 Points – James Suckling

“A soft, juicy red with light jam and berry character. It’s full and round textured. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold.”

91 Points – Jeb Dunnuck

“The 2018 Estate Red is another rich yet balanced wine, offering loads of smoky dark fruits, tobacco, earth, licorice, and chocolate aromas. Medium to full-bodied and nicely balanced, with ripe yet present tannins and a wealth of ripe fruit, it’s going to evolve for 10-12 years or more. Drink 2021-2033.”

90 Points – Wine Enthusiast

“Soft, polished tannins grip a core of earthy cedar, dried herb and tangy currant in this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, all from the producer’s estate. Fresh, with length and breadth across the palate, it shows graceful balance.”